John is one of Australia’s most experienced advisors to associations and charities and is a thought leader for the associations sector. He is a regular national and international presenter, on matters essential to the governance and operations of associations, charities and other mutual bodies.

Since 2000, John has trained and consulted to hundreds of associations and charities, large and small, on strategic planning, governance, Board effectiveness, operations, restructuring, financial issues and external reviews.

His particular areas of specialisation are mergers of associations and developing association plans that can be translated into actions, budgets and job descriptions.

John’s work with associations was recognised in the 2021 Australia Day Honours List with his appointment as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General Division) for significant service to the associations and not-for-profit sectors through a range of initiatives.

In her role as General Manager, Fatima is responsible for overseeing a broad spectrum of activities for Associations Forum including partnerships and sponsorships, events, marketing, human resources, benchmarking projects, database and website development, member services and new projects.

Fatima was Associations Forum's first Manager when it was established in 2004 and oversaw membership, events and communications. She has also worked for Actuaries Institute and Primary English Teaching Association Australia and in the charity sector in Canada where she lived from 2011 to 2017.

Fatima holds a Bachelor of Social Science (majoring in Anthropology) from Macquarie University and a Graduate Certificate in Marketing.

As Finance & Administration Manager, Lynn is responsible for all business finances and accounting for Associations Forum. Her role includes the preparation of budgets, forecasts and financial statements.

Lynn holds a Master of Professional Accounting from the University of New South Wales and is a Member of CPA Australia. She has previously worked as a Senior FP&A Finance Analyst at Whirlpool Corporation and as an Accounts Assistant at Abound Land Student Service and Migration Centre.

Michael is a Chartered Accountant, Fellow of the Governance Institute and Graduate of the Institute of Company Directors. He has worked in chartered accounting practices and the banking and finance industry holding General Manager roles in Finance, Strategy and Operations. More recently he has consulted in governance, financial control and risk management to a range of organisations.

He has been an active Committee Member in several Not for Profits and joined the board of Coeliac NSW&ACT before becoming President of Coeliac Australia in 2016. During his time as President he successfully transformed the organisation from a federated to a national company limited by guarantee. Michael brings a broad governance, finance, project management and risk perspective to his roles ensuring this works in a positive way to achieving strategic goals.

Andrew is based in Melbourne and provides a range of advisory services for Associations Forum based on his broad experience in governance, change management, leadership development, government relations and policy development, risk management, strategic planning, negotiation and partnership development.

Andrew has over 15 years senior executive experience working in medical colleges and associations, including successful tenures as CEO of General Practice Registrars Australia and Deputy CEO at the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine. He has a track record of working collaboratively with volunteers, association members and office bearers, and professional staff to successfully deliver a range of strategic initiatives at both national and state levels. He has well-developed networks in the health and associations sectors. Andrew also has governance experience as a non-executive director and currently holds a number of Board and Committee positions in the NFP and tertiary-education sectors.

Tony Gleeson MBA GAICD is Associations Advisor at Associations Forum. He has over 30 years of experience in the fields of association management and governance, leadership, project and change management, organisational integration and talent development.

Tony has been Chief Executive of Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air-conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) and the Australian Institute of Management (AIM), and was an Executive General Manager with CPA Australia. Prior to his roles with membership associations, he held senior consulting roles in strategy, process re-engineering and change management with PwC, Deloitte and Terra Firma Consulting.

Tony is an innovative and energetic leader, skilled communicator / team builder, and adept negotiator. He has significant experience in providing support and guidance to CEOs and boards in areas of governance, strategic planning, change management and more.

Lewis has over 30 years’ leadership and management experience, including over 20 years in CEO roles in peak consumer and health organisations including Diabetes Australia, Australian Red Cross NSW, Alzheimer’s Australia NSW and Huntington’s NSW ACT. He has governance, management, policy and lobbying expertise across a range of sectors including primary health care, ageing, aged and community care, public health, health promotion, community development, international development and mother and child health.

Lewis has a proven track record in initiating new organisations and concepts and bringing together diverse stakeholders to achieve outcomes which individually are unattainable.

He has been a key member of the leadership team for a number of successful association mergers. He has extensive experience (some successful, some not) of advocating to federal and state governments.

He holds academic qualifications in Social Anthropology (BA Hons¹) and International Public Health (Master of Health Sciences), as well as being a former Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD) and a Fulbright Scholar.

Simon has over 30 years leadership experience in the Not For Profit sector with 24 of those years being the General Manager and/or CEO of Starlight Children’s Foundation, Camp Quality and Tour de Cure.

His extensive experience in growing businesses extends across governance, leadership, board development, cultural change, strategic and operational planning, revenue generation, risk, workplace wellbeing, volunteering and coaching.

Simon has also developed and implemented social enterprises aligned to the businesses purpose and mission whilst linked to commercial strategies in order to deliver growth and diversify revenue streams. His personal traits include being values based, a good listener, having clear communications without ambiguity and adopting a collaborative approach to achieving great results.

Srikanth is a Business Operations Analyst (Strategy & Insights) at Associations Forum, where he leads operations and manages the organisation’s CRM and database systems. He works closely with the consulting team to support strategic planning initiatives through data-driven insights and performance reporting.

He also produces industry benchmarking reports, supports strategic planning projects, and collaborates across teams to implement data- and AI-driven solutions while ensuring compliance with data privacy requirements.

Srikanth holds a Master of Business Analytics from Macquarie University and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering. With over five years of experience across technology, consulting, analytics, and business operations, he brings a strong combination of technical expertise and business insight to his role.

As Office Manager, Shielah oversees daily operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth event execution. She coordinates staff, refines office procedures, and serves as a key liaison, fostering communication and driving organisational success.

Shielah holds a license as a Certified Public Accountant and is also a graduate Master in Public Administration from Southwestern University in the Philippines. She was an Accounting Instructor for 3 years and later became a Finance Head at a young age.

Aria is the Marketing & Sponsorship Officer at Associations Forum, where she supports the development, coordination and delivery of sponsorship and partnership opportunities across conferences, publications and marketing channels.

She develops tailored sponsorship proposals, coordinates sponsorship advertising and deliverables, and works closely with corporate partners to maximise sponsor engagement and partnership outcomes. Aria also supports conference and event delivery as part of sponsorship fulfilment, ensuring sponsors receive strong visibility and value throughout their involvement.

Aria holds a Master of Public Relations and Advertising from UNSW Sydney and has gained practical experience through roles with Associations Forum, Mumbrella’s Events Team in Sydney and Chengdu TV in China.

As Associations Forum’s Administrative and Finance Officer, Angela assists with finances and database management and is responsible for office administration and processing all event registrations.

Angela holds a Bachelors of Commerce majoring in Accounting from the Australian Catholic University.

As Senior Membership Officer, Ninon is responsible for strengthening and expanding Associations Forum’s membership by supporting engagement initiatives, coordinating benefits delivery, and contributing to data analysis to improve retention and growth while building strong member relationships and supporting overall strategic objectives.

Ninon holds a Bachelor in Tourism from Estácio de Sá University, Brazil, a Certificate IV in Business Management from Kent Institute of Business and Technology, Australia and a Certificate IV in Hospitality from The Hotel School UNSW, Australia. Ninon has extensive knowledge in project management, business administration, event management, marketing and coaching acquired in a number of roles both in Brazil and Australia.

Ying joined Associations Forum in 2022 as a Junior Membership Officer and has since grown into a more senior role over the years. She is a mother of two daughters and enjoys gardening and cooking in her spare time.

In her role, Ying builds and maintains relationships with both new and existing members, supports membership recruitment and retention, and helps organisations access the full range of member benefits and services. She also coordinates member communications, renewals, events, and surveys.

Ying holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from Macquarie University. Prior to joining Associations Forum, she spent five years working as an Internal Auditor across the financial services and retail sectors in Australia. Her auditing background has equipped her with strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills, which she now applies to supporting associations and not-for-profit organisations across Australia.

Elida holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Universidade Salgado de Oliveira in Brazil (2009) and a Business Administration Degree from ICD in Ireland (2019), where she lived for over 13 years. With a strong background in client relations and a passion for community-building, she thrives on fostering meaningful engagement.

Her experience spans across sectors, having worked in a bank, a tech startup, and a charity. Now based in Sydney and studying Marketing and Communication at Greenwich College, Elida brings enthusiasm, multicultural insight, and a genuine commitment to delivering value and strengthening connections within the not-for-profit sector.

Sarah's role as a Membership Officer involves building and maintaining relationships with both new and existing members, as well as assisting with Associations Forum’s member recruitment strategy.

Sarah brings a wealth of expertise in customer service, client relations and event management, gained from her diverse experience across the hospitality and events industries in both the UK and Australia. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Sydney.

Dianna's role as a Member Services Officer involves building and maintaining relationships with both new and existing members, as well as assisting with Associations Forum’s member recruitment strategy.

Dianna holds a double Bachelor Degree in Psychology and Economics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in the United States. Prior to joining Associations Forum, Dianna has had extensive experience working as a US tax accountant and an operations specialist in different financial institutions across Hong Kong.

As the Marketing and Communications Officer, Duyen produces e-newsletters, bi-annual ASSOCIATIONS magazine and formal communication at Associations Forum, while also controlling the social media and website management of the team. 

Khen's responsibilities as an Administration Officer include maintaining databases, updating records, and ensuring data accuracy. 

He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Mika's responsibilities as an Administration Officer include maintaining databases, updating records, and ensuring data accuracy. 

Mika is a Civil Engineering graduate from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and she also holds a license as a Registered Civil Engineer. 

Pauline's responsibilities as an Administration Officer include maintaining databases, updating records, and ensuring data accuracy. 

With a background in civil engineering, she combines technical knowledge with administrative expertise to contribute effectively across teams.